


Dagger of Damocles

by galforce (boxofwonder)



Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, Fire Emblem Series
Genre: An assassin is forced to stab a queen, Assassin!Mae, F/F, Pre-Relationship, Queen!Celica, What happens next will warm your heart!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2019-08-23
Packaged: 2020-09-24 22:57:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20366491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boxofwonder/pseuds/galforce
Summary: “Why are you doing this?” Queen Celica asked. Her face had paled, but her eyes were awake, bright with her intelligence. “Do you not owe me at least this much of an explanation?”





	Dagger of Damocles

The only thing worse than assassinating someone had to be noticing their beauty as you did so. Mae was certain of it.

Despite the poisoned dagger in her hand, and despite knowing the full meaning of it, Queen Celica sat with poise, silken sheet pooling in her lap, the soft lace of her nightgown light against the bright curls tumbling across it. Mae swallowed, hard. She did not let go of the dagger.

“Why are you doing this?” Queen Celica asked. Her face had paled, but her eyes were awake, bright with her intelligence. “Do you not owe me at least this much of an explanation?”

Mae bit her tongue, loathing that she agreed. It would be so much easier, all of this would be, were she not so soft-hearted. Never soft-hearted enough to let mercy rule over her own selfish needs, though. “It is what I was born to do,” she said, jutting up her chin like a bully needing to make themselves taller. One day, perhaps, she would escape. For now, the queen would die at her blade.

Queen Celica sighed softly, the intent gaze never wavering as she clasped her hands over the silken sheet. “It would seem strange to me, that you claim you were born to kill a queen when she was still playing in barns and hay as you might have done the same. I cannot say people weren’t trying to kill me already, even in those happy days … but it was their choice. Always their choice. None in this world are born to kill, though some like to claim to hold the blame from them.” Her voice was soft, but there was a sharpness to these words. A reprimand Mae felt keenly, called out on the cowardice of such an explanation. “So tell me, Mae. Why is it that you make this choice?”

Green eyes flashed in her mind, Boey’s soft smile, his messy hair. His elbow almost breaking Mae’s nose as they slept curled together at night, inseparable since their childhood. “I do it for those I love,” Mae said, finally honest, and the truth hurt so deep it made her breath hitch, chest aching physically. But the dagger remained unwavering, because there was no other choice but to go through with it.

How could Mae put this kind, bright stranger over the only one she had in this world?

No, never. Never. Her existence was a cursed one, every breath she took one stolen from another, and yet she kept stubbornly living, because despite the suffering she brought she loved loved _loved _being alive. Every stolen second of it.

“Have I wronged them? Your answer is the one I understand most keenly, and yet I know nothing of the circumstances that would mean my life had to be forfeit for those you love.”

“The one I love,” Mae corrected. Because in a life such as hers there was only space for one, no matter how much love her heart could hold. But her love already was the noose around Boey’s neck, how could she do that to anyone else? “If you die, he lives.”

The queen’s eyes widened with some kind of understanding. “They hold your lover captive?”

“He is not my lover,” Mae said, as if this mattered to a queen, and one who would soon be dead. “It’s more than that - he’s my best friend. My brother.” Her beginning, and if she could have it her way, Boey would be her end, too. Never apart. Always on each other’s nerves, always finding a reason to keep on living in each other.

She loved him so much it tore her apart, because if she could choose, she would never end a life so precious. Never.

“I have a person like that as well,” the queen said, eyes softening. “Someone I’d do anything for.”

Even commit regicide? Even take a ruler from a country that had only recently stabilised, risk being hanged for it, just to know her most cherished friend safe? And only to fear for them again, or be used as leverage in turn.

The unfairness of it had long ceased bothering her. Mae knew she could either die or choose life, selfishly, and deal with what she stole from people. But faced with this beautiful queen, faced with yearning for those soft eyes to be directed at Mae as well?

The frustration brought tears to her eyes, hot and stinging. “Then you understand,” she said, stepping closer, raising the dagger that would cut the very life Mae thought she could have grown to love as fiercely as Boey, if only given the chance. “I am so sorry. But I cannot lose him.”

“You will not.”

It was enough to make Mae halt, and Queen Celica rose to her feet, stepping closer. Bold and only more achingly beautiful, from up close. And her slender, soft fingers curled around Mae’s wrist with an underlying strength that made Mae gasp. Their eyes met, a moment of understanding between them - of Mae understanding that this queen was not much older than herself, and knew hardship - knew the same love Mae felt.

And an understanding about Mae herself that she did not dare to think about - Mae feared what the queen might see in her, feared so much that one day even Boey would come to hate her for what she had done - for what she kept doing.

“I cannot lose him,” Mae insisted, though her voice was small, trembling. The touch of Celica’s strong, warm fingers undid her. Undid all the layers of ice that had grown around her heart even though Mae was made of fire, always fire.

“If you did not have to, would you want to take my life?”

“Of course not!” Mae cried, tears spilling from her eyes and tracking down her cheeks. “You think I want this?! You think I want to kill?! And you, of all people, when you’re so kind and so sweet?! If I had it my way I’d be your friend, not your death, but I can’t -” She gasped for breath, all of it coming out at once. Everything she’d never told anyone. And strangely, the queen seemed to give her the time to gather her words and speak them. “We were raised that way, paired up, and then they take the one who matters most and teach you to kill and either your target dies, or your heart, and, and -” She could barely hold onto the dagger, tears clinging to her jaw. “And I hate it, but I keep watching people die, and I won’t have him die!”

And the queen she had come to kill - she wrapped her arms around Mae and held her close. It was a warm embrace, gentle and undemanding. In the storm of Mae’s anguish Celica was steadiness and calm, and Mae thought how easy it would be to end this right now and save Boey, but her arms wrapped around Celica. The dagger clattered to the ground, and Mae fell apart in those gentle arms.

She clung on, sobbing and trembling. It was terrible, loud noises, her cries echoing into the world after so long, after being strong for so long. And those elegant, powerful hands stroked her back gently. “Shh,” said the queen. “Shh, it’s alright now. It’s over.”

“But how -” Mae wept, her voice so warbled she feared she would not be understood.

But her answer stepped out from behind a curtain. It was a man who must have been there the entire time, his appearance so unexpected of anyone in royal chambers that Mae stopped sobbing in surprise, staring at his shaved sides, the eyepatch, the burly muscle.

“So you have your answer, lass,” he said, addressing the queen like she was his niece. “Guess you win this one.”

Answer? What?

“We should be able to arrange faking my death for a day, should we not?” Celica asked, still holding onto Mae, who just stood there, shellshocked and snot-nosed. This man … had been here the whole time. The queen had never been in any danger - until the moment she took Mae in her arms.

She could have arrested her. Hanged her. But she heard her out.

“The kingdom will be in shambles,” the stranger said, and shrugged. “You know I’m down for anarchy if the price is right.”

Queen Celica pulled away, that same softness Mae had yearned for in her eyes, and she brushed the tears from her cheeks. In that moment, she seemed like an angel. “Can you tell us where your friend is held? And everyone else being tortured this way?”

“Y-yes,” Mae gasped, unable to comprehend what was happening. “O-of course …”

“Saber?” Celica asked sweetly. “Would you ask Jesse and Leon to feed the rumour mill of my tragic demise? Anyone else who might wish to join can feel free to.”

The man snorted. “You know they’ll be down. I take it I’m in charge of taking down those damn bastards?”

“If you would be so kind,” the queen confirmed, as if Saber had asked whether he should prepare tea for her. Not whether he should … wipe out the ones who held Mae’s entire life in their reign of terror.

It couldn’t be that easy. Not at all. “I -” she began, but she shook too hard. It was all so much. “What -”

“I told you,” the queen said. “It will be alright. There is no place for the kind of cruelty you’ve been subjected to in my kingdom. And thankfully I have friends who can help very easily. So … will you make true on your promise?”

“P-promise?”

“To be my friend.”

Had it been a promise? Mae cast her eyes down and bit her lip. “If you - if you wanted that. Then nothing - nothing would make me happier. You’re - you’re sure it’ll - ?”

“Don’tcha worry. I’ve been yearning for some action. By this time tomorrow, the moment Celica steps out and acts confused about the rumours, they’ll all be safe.”

Mae’s legs gave in.

The queen sank to the floor across her, holding her hands. “It’s alright now, Mae. You can choose who you wish to be.” Her smile was the most beautiful thing in the world. Mae knew who she would kill for - but until this moment, she had never known who she would die for. Not until this queen had seen her anguish and freed her, all because she - because she had believed in good inside Mae.

“I am going to protect you until the day I die,” she said, meaning every word. Her tears were still dripping, but at some point the pain had turned to relief, and disbelief. "Every ounce of cursed skill I picked up – I'll make sure you're here to rule this land."

“There is no need for you to -”

“I am going to protect you until the day I die,” Mae repeated fiercely. Even when she sniffled, she made sure to give it all the weight it deserved. “Watch me. I’m gonna do it. Whatever you need - Whatever may come. I am yours. And one more question?" she asked that Saber character, wiping the last of her tears away. No more of them. No more grief. The time for her life being a tragedy was over, thanks to the kindness of the queen. "You need addition to your team, pal? Cause I can guide you there proper, and I'm just _dying _to give them a piece of my mind for what they did."

"Sure, lass. I like your spirit. Let me see what you got, seeing that I'd be happy to find a proper guard this one here's gonna accept."

"I can look after myself," Celica insisted in a way that betrayed this conversation having happened a hundred times before.

"Well, I'll prove myself." Mae smiled at her. "And my words hold true. I'm turning over a new leaf, and I'm _ready _to roll. I'll be a guard you won't be able to say no to!"

"I will be looking forward to that, then." The queen’s smile was reward enough, for having accidentally lost her heart tonight.

**Author's Note:**

> What would win?  
A lifetime of emotional and physical blackmail or: the power of sapphic love? We all know the answer ;)


End file.
